Every December, I sit down to brainstorm a list of goals I would like to accomplish the following year. I have learned that in order to have a well-rounded or balanced life, you must work on various areas- physical, mental, social, intellectual, and spiritual. So, in December 2020, I felt inspired to begin my master degree- a dream I have long desired to tackle. Little did I know that it would contribute of one of the stormiest years of my life.
In Helaman chapter 12, Helaman recorded what he taught his sons. In verse 5 he stated:
And now, my sons, remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth is might winds, yea, his shafts in the worldwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation where on if men build they cannot fall.
Life was obviously never meant to be easy. I believe God allows storms in our lives because they are opportunities for growth. But if we are not spiritually prepared, they also have the potential for destruction. So, how can we be spiritually prepared for the storms that will pass throughout our lives? Helaman answered that question. He said, “yea, when all his hail and mighty storm beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation where on if men build they cannot fall.”
In order for us to understand why we must prepare spiritually, we must also understand the purpose of life. Abraham 3: 24-25 outlines the purpose for the creation. In there we read:
And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these material, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
In the October 2005 conference, President Henry B Eyring taught about spiritual preparedness in conjunction with this scripture, “So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in the glory to our heavenly home.”
The beginning of this past school year was the beginning of a very long and treacherous storm in my life. One night, I was watching a podcast on YouTube from Book of Mormon Central on that week's study of Come Follow Me. The instructor said a phrase that carried me through the year long storm. He said that we must “Walk With Him”. I wrote this phrase on my bathroom mirror as a daily reminder before I walk out the door and faced the world. What does it mean to “Walk With Him”?
Walking with the Savior is very different from just a morning or nightly prayer. It involves staying focused on the love He has for you while you make daily choices to keep his commandments and the covenants you made at baptism and the temple. Alma 34:32 teaches us, “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” As we walk daily with God, we are laboring to become like Him through repentance. On the day we meet Him, we will know Him because we will be like Him.
In his closing remarks in the April 2019 General Conference, President Nelson commented that he hoped each of our homes would be a “true sanctuary of faith where the Spirit can dwell.” We can make our homes a heavenly place where we study the scriptures, pray to our Heavenly Father, and practice faith in our Savior. It can be a place where we can learn to prepare for the storms of life and but also a place solace. This past year, my home has been a place of peace. It is where I have been able to search, ponder, and pray. I have been comforted during emotional breakdowns, gained perspective and understanding on next steps, and fortified my life with gospel truths. Our Heavenly Father wants us to choose to return back to Him. He gave us agency for that very reason. Spiritual preparedness allows us to make correct choices so as Helaman testifies “we shall not fall”.
Building a foundation in Christ is needful for spiritual preparedness. Exercising faith in Christ is how we create a stronger foundation so when the storms rage, our house will stand strong. This year as part of our study in the Old Testament, we learned about the journey of the children of Israel. One day as they were carrying the Arc of the Covenant they came to the River Jordan. They were promised that they would cross over on dry land. They stood there and questioned, “ When will the water part?” It didn’t part until their feet were wet. Faith is action. Power comes when we act on the knowledge we have. As we continue to act on faith, our foundation in Christ will become stronger.
This year, I put my faith into action and participated in the Emotional Resilience class. I knew I needed skills to withstand the trails that were inevitably ahead of me. The ladies in that class shared their own stories and gave their insights that supported my trials. The first week of class we were reminded that change is a blessing. In the October 2008 General Conference, President Thomas Monson gave a talk called “Finding Joy in the Journey.” In his talk he stated, “At one time or another we’ve heard some form of the familiar adage: ‘Nothing is as constant as change.’ Throughout our lives, we must deal with change, Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure, But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.” Part of spiritual preparedness is having the faith to allow Christ to help us to change for the better- no matter how painful it is at the moment.
In Helaman chapter 12, Helaman recorded what he taught his sons. In verse 5 he stated:
And now, my sons, remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth is might winds, yea, his shafts in the worldwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation where on if men build they cannot fall.
Life was obviously never meant to be easy. I believe God allows storms in our lives because they are opportunities for growth. But if we are not spiritually prepared, they also have the potential for destruction. So, how can we be spiritually prepared for the storms that will pass throughout our lives? Helaman answered that question. He said, “yea, when all his hail and mighty storm beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation where on if men build they cannot fall.”
In order for us to understand why we must prepare spiritually, we must also understand the purpose of life. Abraham 3: 24-25 outlines the purpose for the creation. In there we read:
And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these material, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
In the October 2005 conference, President Henry B Eyring taught about spiritual preparedness in conjunction with this scripture, “So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in the glory to our heavenly home.”
The beginning of this past school year was the beginning of a very long and treacherous storm in my life. One night, I was watching a podcast on YouTube from Book of Mormon Central on that week's study of Come Follow Me. The instructor said a phrase that carried me through the year long storm. He said that we must “Walk With Him”. I wrote this phrase on my bathroom mirror as a daily reminder before I walk out the door and faced the world. What does it mean to “Walk With Him”?
Walking with the Savior is very different from just a morning or nightly prayer. It involves staying focused on the love He has for you while you make daily choices to keep his commandments and the covenants you made at baptism and the temple. Alma 34:32 teaches us, “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” As we walk daily with God, we are laboring to become like Him through repentance. On the day we meet Him, we will know Him because we will be like Him.
In his closing remarks in the April 2019 General Conference, President Nelson commented that he hoped each of our homes would be a “true sanctuary of faith where the Spirit can dwell.” We can make our homes a heavenly place where we study the scriptures, pray to our Heavenly Father, and practice faith in our Savior. It can be a place where we can learn to prepare for the storms of life and but also a place solace. This past year, my home has been a place of peace. It is where I have been able to search, ponder, and pray. I have been comforted during emotional breakdowns, gained perspective and understanding on next steps, and fortified my life with gospel truths. Our Heavenly Father wants us to choose to return back to Him. He gave us agency for that very reason. Spiritual preparedness allows us to make correct choices so as Helaman testifies “we shall not fall”.
Building a foundation in Christ is needful for spiritual preparedness. Exercising faith in Christ is how we create a stronger foundation so when the storms rage, our house will stand strong. This year as part of our study in the Old Testament, we learned about the journey of the children of Israel. One day as they were carrying the Arc of the Covenant they came to the River Jordan. They were promised that they would cross over on dry land. They stood there and questioned, “ When will the water part?” It didn’t part until their feet were wet. Faith is action. Power comes when we act on the knowledge we have. As we continue to act on faith, our foundation in Christ will become stronger.
This year, I put my faith into action and participated in the Emotional Resilience class. I knew I needed skills to withstand the trails that were inevitably ahead of me. The ladies in that class shared their own stories and gave their insights that supported my trials. The first week of class we were reminded that change is a blessing. In the October 2008 General Conference, President Thomas Monson gave a talk called “Finding Joy in the Journey.” In his talk he stated, “At one time or another we’ve heard some form of the familiar adage: ‘Nothing is as constant as change.’ Throughout our lives, we must deal with change, Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure, But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.” Part of spiritual preparedness is having the faith to allow Christ to help us to change for the better- no matter how painful it is at the moment.
Ether 12:27 teaches us:
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
As I look back on this year, I am grateful for the strength the Lord blessed me with to not just endure my trials but to change for the better. As I walked in the procession on graduation day to receive my masters degree, an overwhelming sense of gratitude filled my soul. I made it- at least through this trial. It taught me I can do hard things. With God all things are possible. One month later as I exited the doors of the elementary school I work at, again I felt gratitude. Not just because the school year was over, but because I learned what it truly meant to walk with God. He heard my prayers and supported me while I learned to trust Him. I taught the most challenging class of my career. I was beaten down and traumatized at a level only those who go through can understand. But I finished walking with God the entire way. And that is what saved me.
D&C 29:32 teaches us that everything temporal has a spiritual purpose. The Lord's work is to use temporal things to change us spiritually. Spiritual preparedness is the process of using temporal situations and conditions to build our foundation in Christ. This year, the Lord used my work and school to build my foundation and in turn, without me knowing, I was able to help prepare my students and others around me.
The Lord is constantly inviting us to come to Him. This year has testified that when we walk with Him through the windy and icy storms of life we will be made stronger. President Monson said, “Remember that you do not walk alone. … As you walk through life, always walk toward the light, and the shadows of life will fall behind you. …“As I [have] turned to the scriptures for inspiration, a particular word [has] stood out time and time again. The word [is] ‘come.’ The Lord said, ‘Come unto me.’ He said, ‘Come learn of me.’ He also said, ‘Come, follow me.’ I like that word, come. My plea is that we would come to the Lord.”
My plea with you is also to come. Come and walk with Christ in all you do. One of my favorite scriptures is Alma 37:36-37. In there we read:
Yea, and cry unto God for all they support; yea let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all they thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
The Lord knows this life is hard. Christ experienced all we have. He knows our pain, sorrows, and struggles. He also knows that as we come unto Him, and practice faith in Him, our foundation will be made strong and we will be able to withstand the fiery darts of the adversary and this cruel world. As we come unto Him, He will prepare us for the storms we will face which inturn will also prepare us to meet Him in the final judgment. I testify as we come unto Him, we will feel His love for us. He will comfort us and lift us up. Then as we look back we will see that he was always there. There was a thunder storm last night that reminded me they are only temporary. However, we must also prepare for them to assure that we are safe. I know God lives. He wants us to return to Him. He wants to bless us with all the choicest blessings He is ready to give. But we must also be ready to receive.
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
As I look back on this year, I am grateful for the strength the Lord blessed me with to not just endure my trials but to change for the better. As I walked in the procession on graduation day to receive my masters degree, an overwhelming sense of gratitude filled my soul. I made it- at least through this trial. It taught me I can do hard things. With God all things are possible. One month later as I exited the doors of the elementary school I work at, again I felt gratitude. Not just because the school year was over, but because I learned what it truly meant to walk with God. He heard my prayers and supported me while I learned to trust Him. I taught the most challenging class of my career. I was beaten down and traumatized at a level only those who go through can understand. But I finished walking with God the entire way. And that is what saved me.
D&C 29:32 teaches us that everything temporal has a spiritual purpose. The Lord's work is to use temporal things to change us spiritually. Spiritual preparedness is the process of using temporal situations and conditions to build our foundation in Christ. This year, the Lord used my work and school to build my foundation and in turn, without me knowing, I was able to help prepare my students and others around me.
The Lord is constantly inviting us to come to Him. This year has testified that when we walk with Him through the windy and icy storms of life we will be made stronger. President Monson said, “Remember that you do not walk alone. … As you walk through life, always walk toward the light, and the shadows of life will fall behind you. …“As I [have] turned to the scriptures for inspiration, a particular word [has] stood out time and time again. The word [is] ‘come.’ The Lord said, ‘Come unto me.’ He said, ‘Come learn of me.’ He also said, ‘Come, follow me.’ I like that word, come. My plea is that we would come to the Lord.”
My plea with you is also to come. Come and walk with Christ in all you do. One of my favorite scriptures is Alma 37:36-37. In there we read:
Yea, and cry unto God for all they support; yea let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all they thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
The Lord knows this life is hard. Christ experienced all we have. He knows our pain, sorrows, and struggles. He also knows that as we come unto Him, and practice faith in Him, our foundation will be made strong and we will be able to withstand the fiery darts of the adversary and this cruel world. As we come unto Him, He will prepare us for the storms we will face which inturn will also prepare us to meet Him in the final judgment. I testify as we come unto Him, we will feel His love for us. He will comfort us and lift us up. Then as we look back we will see that he was always there. There was a thunder storm last night that reminded me they are only temporary. However, we must also prepare for them to assure that we are safe. I know God lives. He wants us to return to Him. He wants to bless us with all the choicest blessings He is ready to give. But we must also be ready to receive.
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